On the Town: Resident receives new, fuzzy friend

Miley, a white husky, was rescued through the organization… (Photo by David Laurell…)

An actress who first broke into national prominence in the 1960s, Toni Bua starred on the CBS daytime drama "Love of Life" as Tess Krakauer opposite her real-life love and husband, Gene Bua.

As the years went by, Toni and Gene left New York and came to Burbank, where they made their mark by teaching and showcasing new talent through their Acting for Life Theater. They also worked with at-risk youth — work for which they were recognized by elected officials on federal, county and local levels.

The past few years have been rough ones for Toni Bua. After being diagnosed with breast cancer, she continued to place her focus on caring for Gene, who was suffering from Parkinson's disease, while also carrying on his legacy by teaching master classes at Acting for Life.

In November 2012, Gene Bua lost his battle with the disease, and, just a short time after his death, Toni Bua also lost her Siberian husky, Anushka, to old age and learned her cancer had spread and that she would be in need of continued and ongoing treatment.

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Unbeknownst to her, the recent past also proved to be an extremely difficult time for another life — a white husky who had been abandoned in a Los Angeles trash dump and was starving, suffering from severe mange and skin infections, and barely clinging to life.

Alerted to the plight of this emaciated dog, Eldad Hagar of the animal rescue organization Hope for Paws, located and rescued her last December. Naming her Miley, Hagar rushed her to a veterinarian who administered intense medical treatment that included various surgeries, a good diet and heavy follow-up doses of human interaction and love.

Hagar also posted the video of Miley's rescue and rehabilitation on YouTube, where it went viral garnering more than 10 million views, nationwide media attention and offers to help and adopt Miley from people as far away as Europe.

Miley responded well to the medical care and affection and, once she was well enough to be placed in a permanent home, the Fuzzy Pet Foundation was asked to step in to handle her adoption. Putting the word out that they were looking for just the right home for Miley, they received more than 500 applications, including one from Toni Bua.